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The Stranger : Addiction Incorporated

February 3, 2012

Inside Charles Evans Jr.’s feature-length documentary is a nutshell version of the still-amazing tale of the fight for federal regulation of the tobacco industry, here told in footage from the actual hearings (Senator Harry Waxman, represent!). Wrapped around this great rich nugget of a tale is a whole bunch of disposable framing fluff, such as an extended scene of cartoon rats having a blissed-out reggae party to illustrate the effects of nicotine, and a series of talking-head narrations provided by whistle-blowing scientist Victor DeNoble, whose heroism is blunted by his affected self-dramatization. (DAVID SCHMADER)